Honda CR-V Maintenance and Repair

Comments

I have had a similar experience although with a 2004 CR-V and lower mileage. Have you gotten satisfactory service from the dealership and/or American Honda, as in assistance with payment? Have they blamed it on you or considered that the part may have been defective to start with? Have you seen this? http://experts.about.com/q/Honda-Repair-814/Blown-Head-Gasket-1.htmI realize that you have probably dealt with your problem by now but I would be interested in knowing the results or if you are still in the midst or working on the issue.

I had a similar problem with mine just yesterday. However, I couldn't even get the key to go in all the way. Funny thing is your post was what I thought about when it happened because I remembered reading it a few days ago.

I found that if I clicked the "unlock" button on the remote I was then able to get the key in and start with no problem.

Kind of quirky but was glad I could get it to go. I must say though I did PANIC when it happened as my SE only has 300 miles on it!

I have a 2004 CRV with almost 7,000 miles (short commute to work!). The other day my check engine light came on and when I checked here and the owners manual it said if I had just refueled to tighten gas cap and drive it for several days and it should go off.

I had just refueled, so I have done that and have now driven about 100 miles and the light is still on. My brother another CRV owner thinks it takes more miles to make the light go off. I don't want to damage the car, does anyone know about how long it takes if it was a gas cap problem before it will go off?

Hello I just wanted to tell everyone that HONDA really backs up their product. I just had the trans replaced a power door-lock (slider driver) and replaced the ignition interlock on a van that is OVER 7 years old and has almost 80,000 miles on the odo. No hassle, no BS just yes sir we will repair this under Honda's warranty service. I never bought an extended warranty either. I will drive nothing but Hondas from now on and I will most likely buy them at Norm Reeves in Cerritos SoCal!!!!

Sidenote, - I had a lincoln continental, blew the trans at 72K, the motor at 75K and the suspension at 80Kmls. Ford told me to go fly a kite every time! Guess what? -- I dissuaded at least three peoples from buying a ford product, but have swayed at least six peoples to buy Hondas. I have three Hondas: a '91 Accord, a '99 Odyssey, and an '05 CR-V... And I really want to add an Element to the list... :-)

Good evening. I have a 2006 CRV. From the first day I drove the car off the lot I keep seeing the "tailgate open" indicator light flashing on the dashboard. This poses 2 issues. The first is that at night that flickering light can be distracting and secondly, sometimes the alarm will not arm unless I open the tailgate and slam the door closed. I have gone back to my original dealer twice however the fixes never stay. I am now going to go to the Honda dealer who services my car and see if he can fix the problem. Sounds like such an easy fix however I am wondering if anybody else is having this problem which might indicate a more widespread problem. Thanx

Hi everyone, I am new to the group. I was wondering if others on this group can help. I have a 2001 CRV, with about 95K miles on it, almost all highway driving. I do regular servicing on it with oil changes 3 to 4K. My engine light came on and the dealer mechanic said I need a new cylinder head replaced. My oil color looks good, no leak, temp is fine and the car sounds like the same. I ask several people including another Honda dealer mechanic who said it seems way too early to replace the cylinder head, especially with regular maintenance. The mechanic who requested the replacement said an oil change is not worth it if I am not replacing it and that seemed odd to a few people.

I was wondering if others have encountered a similar problem or have any suggestions? Would appreciate any ideas.

Just what did they do to determine the cylinder head was bad? Did they run compression checks? Warped head, blown gasket....sounds a little strange if there is no other evidence since you say the engine sounds fine.Hmmmm - I think I would get another opinion.

I have a similar problem now too on the same model and year. I have regular servicing and has had no problems until now with what the dealer said is the cylinder head. However, on asking a few people including other dealers, they were all surprised that I would have a problem with the cylinder head. May I ask if you have had any more problems with the engine light or cylinder head?

I have an 05 CRV EX Automatic 33,000 milesThe other day, it started making hte same noise you are describing here, when I make a hard left or right. I dropped my car off at the dealership this morning for an oil change, and asked them to take a look at it.They called me back, said the power streering fluid was full, and that they would have to take another look at it, becuase I may need to have the rear dofferential fluid changed, and it would cost me $95.00, and its not covered under warranty because it's a mainteanace issue.

I am still waiting to hear from them.... any advice...I have never had to do this with any other CRV's I have owned, and to be quite honest I am annoyed that I have to pay almost $100.00 for that, and tha car is so young.

If you would read this thread just a few pages back you'll see this issue discussed in detail. It IS the Read diff. fluid. As stated before, the manual suggests change at 60K or even 90K. Apparently, error on Honda's part in attempt to present the CR-V as a low-maintenance vehicle. In reality, RDF should be replaced by 30K, that's what most dealer Svc Depts suggest too. The RDF may even break down as soon as 17K - as was the case with mine. The dealer was well aware of the issue, they had had another CR-V with the same issue with 21K. They replaced it at no charge after a short spin in the parking lot to verify. Try another dealer, or call Honda. I believe they know they goofed on the Manual, so in general they are covering this under "good will warranty".I searched a few posts for you - see 4529 and around it, also 4013. But best, Varmint, one of our honorable members, has a great thread you should start with:http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.ef229e9/17!make=Honda&model=CR-V&ed_makei- ndex=.ef229e9

Thanks for the advice... I called the dealrer I originally bought the car from, and they told me it was covered as warranty work, becasue honda doesn't tell you to change your fluids untill you get to 40K miles.I called back the dealer close to my office, where I dropped off the car this morning, told them what the other dealer said, and he changed his tory. He said he talked to the technician and his technician said they would take care of it under warranty.Saved me $100.00 .... Woo hoo....

I am thinking twice now about giving this dealer any more of my business. It's conveniant because it's right around the corner from my office, but that's really just it.

Hi, I have a 1998 Honda CRV with 61,000 miles on it and the engine light just came on today. It still starts and runs, butI'm kind of freaking out...I'm a college student and I really don't have the money to pay for a bunch of super expensive tests to figure out what's wrong. Does anyone have any advice on what do to? I just bought the car like 2 months ago and it has no manual. Thanks,Mandie :sick:

My honda did same thing and I got the run around from 6 shops saying different things...cv joints...alignment....etc..after a alignment...new tires...the transmission shop that put in a new tranny (at 30k miles....thats a different story) said I needed a new drive line after they took it all apart...then he called me to say he found a recall notice from honda that said it was the rear differential fluid.....so he changed that first $100....no more turning problems....he was amazed and said he never thought that was what was wrong..... I have a 97 crv and finally just paid it off.....why so long.....because I have paid almost $6,000 fixing it and it still runs like crap....I bought it as a repo with 3k miles and no warrenty....HUGE MISTAKE......good luck (now I need to post my newest problem)

To all crv owners...I haved read your posts probably can help you since I have already been there....my crv 1997 3k miles repo no warrenty...30k miles..NEW TRANNY..NEXT....noise when turning....finally fixed...REAR DIFFERENTIAL FLUID...don't let them fool you by saying cv joints or alignment...blah blah blah...fixed those....its not...NEXT..Noise when braking...if brake pads okay...BRAKE DUST...but it comes back right away until you have them cleaned again and again and again....still no final solution....check engine light comes on...its your gas cap...open it and retighten....should go away after awhile...NOW BIGGEST PROBLEM...my car idles like crap...sounds like it is about to stall out...becomes worse when I turn on the AC.....engine light came on....$600 for a new ignition module....fixed..paid...drove away...same prob...light back on.....sooooo...they just have to reset my computer..okay ....no prob for 2 months.....then same thing all over without check engine light...need to clean fuel injecters...$240...didnt help.....then fuel filters..then flush fuel...no help.....$1000 bucks and 1 yr later my car sounds worse...I lost all power on freeway the other day...(car didnt stall though)hit gas peddle..nothing.....It idles awful really bad mostly when I have AC turned on.....ANYONE HAVE A CLUE.....I have now been told oxygen sensor, fuel pump, cat.converter...it varys from shop to shop....please help

Just curious but what kind of repair facilities are you taking your CRV to? Personally if it is a Honda dealer, I would hold them accountable and talk to the service manager. It sounds as if they are guessing and when you go into a repair facility and you tell them to correct a problem, they have a responsibility to fix it....and if they don't, then I think they have a financial responsibility to reimburse you for the failed repair.

The obvious is to make sure the gas cap is tightened as Hondas are noted for being peculiar with that. If that's not it, take your CRV in to a local auto parts store such as Autozone or Advance Discount and ask if they can "run thecodes" for your check engine light. They'll do it for free and print out a few things that affect the particular code. If you're handy with tools or know someone who is, you can save yourself a bundle. They did this for my 98 Mustang and it was an O2 sensor, saved me about $300 from going to the dealer.

Check your gas cap and make sure it is on tight and that the cap and the tube it attaches to is clean so a good seal is made a loose fitting gas cap will cause a check engine light to come. You might have to buy a new gas cap as it may be defective but it is cheaper then going to the dealer for a estimate of repairs!! evanj

I have just experienced the same problem on my 2005 CR-V with automatic transmission. Turned the key to the start position and . . . nothing, doesn't even try to start. After several more tries it just suddenly starts like nothing was ever wrong. This has happened three different times, including the morning I was taking it to the dealer, however once I got it there they were unable to replicate the problem. :blush: They too suggested the key on the keyring theory, but I haven't been able to test it because the car has started every time since then with the usual keys on the ring. I'd like to find a definitive answer as I was planning to take the car on a trip next month, but now am hesitant for fear of having problems again. :confuse:

I think we may have discovered a widespread problem. I also have a 2006 CRV and had the same issue right off the lot. Initially the "tailgate open" light would flicker on when I made turns or hit bumps. I took it back to the dealer and they "fixed" it. A few weeks later the problem is back and worse than ever. Now it seems to stay on solidly except when I apply the brakes. I have an appointment to take the vehicle in to the service department on Monday. Hopefully Honda has put out a bulletin on how to remedy this problem by now.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but I'm not quite sure what you're expecting.

You've got a dozen different mechanics who've had the opportunity to actually see, touch, and listen to the vehicle, yet they can't figure it out. I'm thinking that a bunch of car enthusiasts (not mechanics) with only a text description aren't going to do a whole lot better.

We can list common issues we've read about in the past (has anyone checked the valve spacing?), but nothing can replace hands-on experience with the vehicle.

Thanx for your response. I have already reported this problem to American Honda customer service. I am already going on my 3rd fix. Basically, as I see it, the rear door cannot push the switch responsible for this problem, far enough back. One would think a minor adjustment would fix the problem however it does not appear to be this simple or we would not have to keep going back for another fix. Keep in touch and good luck.

Do you by any chance have a "mobil speed pass" on your keyring? I have seen posts that they interfere with the ignition interlock built into the key itself. Another possibility is that the key may need to be reprogrammed. Depending on the model and security system, there is a chip built into the key that when recognized will allow the car to start. If the code programmed into the key doesn't match what's in the ignition switch the car won't go. If that is the case, take all your keys to the dealer so that they can all be reprogrammed.

My wife and I own a 2002 Honda CRV which we purchased about a year and a half ago and have had no problems with. Last night, while stuck in stop and go traffic, I noticed the drive button ("D") on the dashboard blinking. According to the manual, this indicated a "possible transmission problem". This was the first time this had happened. We drove home about 90 minutes, eventually getting out of the stop and go traffic and on to the Turnpike, where we drove at the usual speeds and didn't notice any problems. The blinking continued the entire way home, however, and even when I put the car in park as a test the drive light continued to blink. We got home without a problem, and today started the car and saw no blinking. The car has seemed perfectly normal and the blinking has not returned. Has anyone else experienced this and can we assume this was a one time "fluke" or malfunction, or should we bring it in to be looked at (I should point out that we don't really have a mechanic we trust as we are new to the area).